Baghdad remains committed to the upcoming September 30 deadline to end the military presence of international coalition forces in Iraq, sources said. Media reports, meanwhile, said that the United States and its partners intend to scale down their military mission and transition to a bilateral security framework with the Iraqi government instead of a complete withdrawal. An official Iraqi source told Asharq Al-Awsat that reports about the continued presence of US and foreign forces in Iraq after September "contradict what was agreed upon between the previous Iraqi government and the US administration." However, the source added that "it is premature to comment on press reports that are not based on an official US source." Reports on Saturday cited an unnamed US official, whose identity or position was not disclosed, stating that the US and its coalition partners will scale down their military missions in Iraq by the upcoming September 30 deadline. The source said that the move is in execution of directives from President Donald Trump. According to statements attributed to the official, the reduction of the mission reflects what they described as a shared success in fighting ISIS. The official noted that it represents a transition toward a permanent bilateral security partnership between Baghdad and Washington, in accordance with US interests, the Iraqi constitution, and the Strategic Framework Agreement between the two countries. The official explained that the move does not mean the end of the international coalition against ISIS, but rather the transition of its military mission into a more traditional format within a bilateral framework. Coordination between the Iraqi government and coalition member states will continue to ensure a "responsible and smooth" transition, he added. In September 2024, Iraq and the US announced a plan to end the military mission of the Washington-led international coalition against ISIS in Iraq and to gradually transition to a bilateral security relationship. Under the plan, the first phase of the mission concluded in September 2025, while forces remained in the Kurdistan region to support counter-ISIS operations in Syria, with the final phase scheduled to end in September 2026. Sabah al-Numan, the military spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, said that the upcoming September 30 will be like an "Iraqi celebration," confirming Baghdad's commitment to completing the withdrawal of coalition forces on schedule. Al-Numan added that the government is also proceeding with regulating weapons, restricting them to the control of the state, and integrating armed factions into legitimate state institutions. The official Iraqi source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the government "is committed to what was agreed upon between Baghdad and Washington," and that Iraq no longer needs foreign forces on its territory for any purpose. Baghdad is keen to ensure that a continued US presence, should it occur, does not provide a justification for armed factions to back track on the initiative to restrict weapons to the custody of the state, he stressed.
